Broncos' Luke Wattenberg Receives Fair Ranking in PFF's Top 32 Centers

The Denver Broncos have invested a lot in four of the five positions on the offensive line over the past few years. The only position the Broncos haven’t spent is at the center position, where a series of mid-to-late Day-2 draft picks comprise the depth chart.

That may change with starter Luke Wattenberg set to be a free agent after this season. 

After just one season as the starter, Wattenberg's reputation could be rising. Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron ranked Wattenberg as the NFL's 14th-best center heading into the 2025 season.

It's a lofty ranking, considering that Wattenberg has only one season under his belt, during which he missed multiple games due to injury. However, if he can grow from that experience, the Broncos could decide to pay him instead of looking for a new starting center next year. 

“The former fifth-round pick entered 2024 with almost no experience, and what he had shown up to that point was well below par. That all changed once Wattenberg assumed a starting role, as he proved to be one of the best pass protectors at the position," Cameron wrote. "His 82.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2024 ranked second among centers, and he also finished above the 90th percentile in all of PFF’s stable pass-blocking metrics.”

Those are great metrics for Wattenberg, even if pass protection from centers can be obscured by limiting the number of single exposures due to the defensive fronts they face. He is also helped by playing beside All-Pro right guard Quinn Meinerz, who, when you watch Denver's tape, covers up for some of Wattenberg's issues. 

In games where Wattenberg faced a lot of one-on-one situations as a pass blocker, it was a mixed bag. He had some solid games but also some bad ones, and his resume is missing a truly great display as a pass blocker.

There is also an issue with Wattenberg's run blocking. The Broncos struggled when he was the lead blocker, unless it was between him and Meinerz, in which case, the right guard did most of the heavy lifting. But considering that Wattenberg only had 129 career snaps before being plugged in as the starter last year, it was an encouraging first year.

The Takeaway

There is still a lot for Wattenberg to improve before the Broncos may be comfortable enough to extend him to a big contract. The team also has to work out the budget for the offensive line, as five costly contracts may be too much for the budget.

However, what helps the Broncos is that they will be relieved of the anchor of Russell Wilson's dead cap hit from the books after this season, and they have Bo Nix on a rookie contract. It's easy to spend around a quarterback on a rookie contract; the key is to do it wisely. 

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Placing Wattenberg at No. 14 of 32 centers may pleasantly surprise Broncos fans, but it's a fair placement. Wattenberg is right around the middle of the pack for starting centers with room to grow.